ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 69, 14 December 1907, Page 9

ROWING.

(By Mercury.)

• COMING EVENTS. Dec. 16. —Akaroa Regatta. Dec. 2S. —West-port Regatta. '' Jan. I.—Lyttelton Regatta.:. ; " Jan. 1. —Picton Regatta. ,',,.. .Feb. 15. —Christ-church Regatta. Feb. 29— Wellington Regatta, Fob. . —Wanagimi Regatta. : March 24. —New Zealand' Championships at Napier. ... '

Tho Star Regatta crews .seem to. bo under a-ban. First- thera happened the "dislocation caused by tho retirement.' of Wilkinson and Duckley, and no sooner weru thoiiecessary adjustments mado .than a ,;:serios..of minor accidents occurred along and put- every crew except the Youths out of action., ::; ■"•

• Tho Juniors were, at the ..timo. of •writing,' still awaiting their stroke,"'who;'has boon liors do combat on account of a strained back, so that any criticising of their work is out of tho question. ..''■''

Tho maidens, as a whole, 'have likewise done nothing, though tho crow has had several rows with various substitutes, but it would be obviously unfair to judgo thorn' on these appearances. 1 understand that tho stroke, and three are now out of sick bay, and it behoves this crew to put in a good deal of long steady rowing to get together. In fact, this will be very necessary, as tho challcngo maidens are making a voir, creditable showing. By the" rule's of the Club the clinllongo . must ..b0"... sent in two weoks before tho regatta, and as I presume tho Picton Regatta will eventuate as usual on January 1, this leaves very little timo,for' the selected crow to strike form.

Tho challengers are rowing with a good swing, except that tho -recovery of tho throo and bow is marred by a tendency to drop tho body down into tho"boat at' tho finish. Tho beginning is not quite bard and crisp enough, and becauso of a -lack of log drivo, thoro'is not sufficient "rip" through tho water. .*' However, tho' good combination of tho crew makes [or pace,' and if tho committeo's selection beats it,--thcj. will at least know tboy have been racing.

Tho. senior crew'has also had a man on tho casualty list; but now seems fairly linden way again. Tho slide work of'" the stroke and throo is very faulty, and to aggravate the trouble, tlwy do not err ..in unison, tho result being that the swin" suffers throughout. Tho bow' also is not getting far enough forward, but this may be' tho result of tho rccont back trouble " On tho credit side of the account must bo placed tho facts that tho length, catch and blado work aro all good, and that thcro is undoubted powor in the-.boat. With, duo attention to tho slide work this crow must mako a worthy representation of tho Club in its racing engagements, but at present this attention is very necessary,.

Tho- youths are doing steady work of tho "slow. forward, hard eateh and shoot the hands away" ■ order under ex-Captain Biss. 'fho new be--- :;'-'shaping nicely, and scorns to fit in vi.,,'',.0i1, and generally, tho crew is promising u> fulfil expectations.

- A now departure in boat-racing in Wellington' will be . instituted on Friday, Dec. 20.-.when a match, which it is to bo hoped will provo the first of an annual series, is to be rowed between crews representing tho Wellington' College "and the Wanganui Collegiate. .School.; Tho distauco-fixed on is about a mile, and will bo taken either over the-usual; southerly courso- or along the Kaiwarra.'. foreshore,, according to circumstances, and the.-time of tho raco is to Iks fixed'on the; day. The Star Club with farseeing generosity .•■ has given tho. local boys the use of -its shed and plant, and the lads selected have', been' steadily at work since tho end of-last season under the.able/tuition of Dr.' Foil. 'Latterly the prevailing northerlies, -and tho -stern demands of examiners, '■' wli'6 appear •so "misguided as "to. think a knowledge- of -Latin and mathematics at least 'as .important.'. "as.:.'.:.the... mystorios ;of : » '.'gopil/swing". and .a'„,',!eatch.. at. the begin-ning,"-have-interfered considerably with the regular -rowiug of - the' crew'.' -*Tho'. Docto.ty liowever-, .has them- hi good .'"fix," and has givtJiV thein so thorough..a grounding in "the theory of tho sport, that, as far as stylo goes, they can -rather inoro than hold' tlioir -own with' any of tho local crows, though of necessity: .tberojs. an absence of.-the power and drive thatmakes for paco'in the old-or crews.

As.an indication .of the.strength of their opponents the. following -paragraph by "Clinker" of the Wangauui -, Herald" will be of . School' Four- guvo: a taste of their, quality bri Saturday, when they succeeded' in. defeating. .;v" four \ stroked by Dodgshun. ' Tho crews wero driven hard all tho:way, though School lost a lot of ground by steering a very erratic' courso rounding tho groyne. Thirty yards from home it looked as though Dodgshun would'be returned as:tho winner, a-s his boat was running,, well, -while' that of the School wa» rolling considerably.■-. Tho -School'--stroke, however, had enough left for a final burst, and, putting in a really good half-dozen,-was first ".past-,the'post by two feet. Tho Collegians thumped on.tho weight in good style'|' : but nea'ririg tho finish,- they fell to pieces Somewhat, tho body swing being particularly bad, while more dash right through the boat-would bo beneficial. . , ,

Tho I local Rowing Association in. genera!; and-; Mr. F. Hume, the hon. secretary, in 'particular,', must feel glad with ' themselves tor securing tho services'. of Mr. B. A. Marrjs as" assistant-secretary.' "Mr. Marri*' - steered one of tbo most successful of, local regattas to a satisfactory conclusion when he was'- secretary of- tire regatta, committee three seasoiis'backj and his co-operation will prove of tho' utmost- and should 'help' to association, from ..its. present moribund condition. Mr. Hume has beeu working- hard to attain this .o'nil,' and with those two live ■ men' at tho steering ropes things should liven considerably.'. ,-, ;■